§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what will be the housing benefit paid to (a) a single person aged under 18 years, (b) a single person aged under 25 years, (c) a single person aged 25 to 59 years, (d) a couple without children where rates and rent are (i) 25 per cent. below average, (ii) average and (iii) 25 per cent. above average and gross weekly income is (1) at the level of unemployment benefit, (2) earnings of £45, (3) £55, (4) £65, (5) £75, (6) £85, (7) £95, (8) £110 and (9) £125 a week under current provisions and under the assumptions set out in the technical annex to Cmnd. 9691; and in each case at what level of income the entitlement to housing benefit would disappear;
(2) what is his estimate of the number of (a) single people aged under 18 years, (b) single people aged under 18 years to 24 years, (c) single people aged 25 years to 59 years and (d) couples where the claimant is aged under 25 years who currently receive some housing benefit; and approximately how many in each category will lose all their housing benefit under the proposals in the Social Security Bill, on the assumptions in the technical annex to Cmnd. 9691;
(3) if he will publish in the Official Report tables similar to tables 8A, 8B, 17A and 17B in the technical annex to Cmnd. 9691 showing the average change in disposable income by family status under the proposals in the Social Security Bill;
(4) if he will publish in the Official Report extra information expanding tables 10A-16B of the technical annex to Cmnd. 9691 showing separately for sick and disabled, lone parents, couples with children in full-time work and not in full-time work, others in full-time work and not in full-time work, and non-pensioners without children who are couples, the numbers losing, gaining and remaining the same, indicating the amount of the change where appropriate who are (a) under 25 years and (b) aged 25 years or more;
(5) what is his estimate of the average amounts paid in (a) water rates, (b) sewerage charges and (c) domestic rates in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland in 1985–86 by those receiving supplementary benefit which were used in the calculations in the technical annex to Cmnd. 9691.
§ Mr. NewtonI shall let the hon. Member have replies as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what circumstances, under the assumptions set out in the technical annex to Cmnd. 9691, a single person under the age of 25 years will be better off (a) if they receive income support and (b) if they receive housing benefit but not income support (i) at the point of change and (ii) under the effects of the structural reform, showing separately those circumstances which will result in gains of over £5 a week.
§ Mr. NewtonThe variations in claimants' circumstances are such that it is not possible to give an exhaustive answer, but the main circumstance under which the benefit entitlement of single people under 25 would increase, for both income support and housing benefit, would be if they were entitled to the proposed disability premium. Equally, the entitlement to housing benefit of those with unavoidably high rents might increase. The range of gains, and the numbers involved, are given in the tables contained in the technical annex to Cmnd. 9691.